Tag Archives: benefits

Firefighters Deserve A Salute Every Day

Recognizing Firefighters

It’s National Fire Prevention Week this week and, while attention is properly focused on promoting fire prevention, we also think it’s a great time to recognize all the firefighters who are members of the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS).

Of the 533,415 members in NYSLRS, 32,470 are in the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS). More than 6,000 of these brave men and women are firefighters.

NYSLRS Membership and Firefighters

All firefighters working for participating employers are PFRS members. With that membership comes a variety of benefits, including certain death and disability benefits as well as a pension. As firefighters and other PFRS members progress through their careers they become eligible for these benefits. For example, from day one, PFRS members are covered by job-related death and disability benefits. However, with ten years of service credit, most members are also eligible for a non-job-related disability benefit.

In addition, most PFRS employers offer their employees special retirement plans. A special plan lets members retire after completing 20 or 25 years of credited service in specific job titles rather than reaching a certain age. Most firefighters — and, in fact, nearly 80 percent of all PFRS members (25,784) — are enrolled in a set of special 20- and 25-year plans. Whether members need 20 or 25 years depends on their retirement plan.

Firefighters are Heroes

To the members of the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York and the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs; to the county fire marshals, supervising fire marshals, fire marshals, assistant fire marshals, assistant chief fire marshals and chief fire marshals: Thank you for your service to New York and its citizens. We are grateful for the valuable service you provide all of us.

Spending Changes in Retirement

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Just like starting your first job, getting married or having kids, retirement will change your life. Some changes are small, like sleeping in or shopping during regular business hours. Others, however, are significant and worth examining ahead of time… like how much you’ll be spending in retirement each month or each year.

An Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) study offers some good news for prospective retirees. Household spending generally drops at the beginning of retirement — by 5.5 percent in the first two years, and by 12.5 percent in the third and fourth years. (Although, nearly 46 percent of households actually spend more in the first two years of retirement.)

Analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor seems to support the research from EBRI. In “A closer look at spending patterns of older Americans,” the author analyzed data from the 2014 Consumer Expenditure Survey, and she also found a progressive drop in spending as age increases. (Income declines with age as well.)

While data supporting EBRI’s study is helpful, it turns out that the highlight of the Consumer Expenditure Survey results is a detailed look at how the things we spend our money on change as we grow older.

As interesting as that is, it’s just a general look at how older Americans are managing their money. What really matters is: How will you spend your money once you retire?

Prepare a Post-Retirement Budget

Like a fiduciary choir, financial advisors all sing the same refrain: Start young; save and invest regularly to meet your financial goals. If you do, the switch from saving to spending in retirement can be easy.

But, in order to make that transition, you need a budget.

The first step toward a post-retirement budget is a review of what you spend now. For a few months, track how you spend your money. Don’t forget to include periodic costs, like car insurance payments or property taxes. By looking at your current spending patterns, you can get an idea of how you’ll spend money come retirement.

Then, consider your current monthly income, and estimate your post-retirement income. If your post-retirement income is less than your current income, you might want to plan to adjust your expenses or even consider changing your retirement date.

We have monthly expense and income worksheets to help with this exercise. You can print them out and start planning ahead for post-retirement spending.

Monthly Worksheets (PDF)

For those of you who carry smart phones, Forbes put together a list of popular apps for tracking your daily spending. All of them are free, though some do sell extra features. Many of them can automatically pull in information from your bank and credit card accounts, but if you’d rather avoid that exposure or if you use cash regularly, you may prefer an app that lets users enter transactions manually.

Creditable Service for Police & Fire Members

What Credit Counts Towards Retirement?

The public service that can be used toward your 20 or 25 years is determined by the specific retirement plan under which you’re covered. Check your retirement plan booklet for details.

There are booklets for state police , forest rangers , regional state park police , state university police , EnCon police and members covered under Sections 384, 384-d and 384-e of Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL). More plan booklets are available on our Publications page.

The most common PFRS plan, which covers nearly 50 percent of PFRS members, was established by Section 384-e of RSSL. With this plan, you earn creditable service:

As a firefighter or police officer under the 384-e plan;
As a member or officer of the New York State Police; or
In the military, as specified by law.

In the 384-e retirement plan, civilian service, as well as service as a sheriff, corrections officer or volunteer firefighter, is not creditable.

creditable service for police and fire retirement system members

Transferring Membership or Purchasing Service Credit — Contact Us First

If you have worked for multiple New York State public employers and are unsure if all of your service is creditable towards your 20 or 25 year plan, contact us before transferring membership or purchasing service credit . Please note: the public service that can be used toward your 20 or 25 years is determined by legislation and differs among plans offered to PFRS members. You should also be sure to request an estimate from us well before your planned date of retirement if there is any question about your creditable service.

Get an Estimate

PFRS members should request an estimate from us as early as 18 months before you plan to retire. It’s the best way to make sure you have all the credit you’re entitled to. Simply fill out and return a Request for Estimate (RS6030) form.

Getting Credit for Your Military Service

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If you served in the U.S. Armed Forces, you may be eligible to buy back up to three years of active service credit. Because service credit is a factor in calculating a NYSLRS pension, in most cases buying military service credit will increase your pension.

Military Service Credit

To be eligible, veterans must:

Have been honorably discharged;
Have at least five years of credited service in the Retirement System;
Have not received credit for this service in any other public retirement system in New York State; and
Apply for and purchase military service credit before they retire.

How to Apply for Military Service Credit

To apply and request a cost for military service credit:

1. Fax your name, contact information and a copy of your DD-214 to 518-486-6405 or 518-402-7799;

2. Mail a letter with your name and contact information, and a photocopy of your DD-214, to:
Military Service Unit
110 State Street
Albany, NY 12244-0001

If after reviewing your application we determine you are eligible, we will send you a letter that will tell you how much credit you are eligible to purchase and the cost. Most members in Tier 1, 2, 3 or 4 can use our online benefit projection calculator to see how the credit would impact your pension. Tier 5 and 6 members can get that information by calling 1-866-805-0990, or using our secure email form (www.emailNYSLRS.com).

For more information, visit the Military Service Credit page on our website.

Taxes and Your NYSLRS Loan

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You may be eligible to borrow money against your retirement contributions, but the loan may have tax implications. A NYSLRS loan is exempt from New York State and local income taxes, but it would be subject to federal taxes if the loan amount exceeds certain limits. That means you would need to include it on your federal income tax return for the year the loan is issued.(We’ll send you a 1099-R to file with your taxes.)

If you already have one or more outstanding NYSLRS loans, all or part of your new loan could be taxable. Also, if you already have a loan from a deferred compensation (457) or a tax-sheltered annuity (403-b) plan from your current employer, the total of all of your loan balances will be used in calculating your tax threshold.

The tax impact can be significant, and may even push you into a higher tax bracket. And, if you’re younger than 59½, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may charge a 10 percent penalty on top of your federal income taxes. Even if a substantial portion of your loan goes to the IRS, you’ll still have to repay the entire amount, plus interest, to NYSLRS. Moreover, if you do not pay off your loan before you retire, your pension will be permanently reduced.

You can have NYSLRS withhold 10 percent of the taxable amount from your loan check, but in most cases that will not cover the total amount you will owe the IRS.

Multiple Loans vs. Refinanced Loans

You may be able to avoid taxes, or at least lower them, by the way you structure your loan. If you have one or more NYSLRS loans and are considering another loan, you’ll have two options. You can take it as a separate loan (known as a multiple loan) or you can refinance your existing loan(s) to include the new loan amount.

The multiple loan option minimizes the potential tax impact. The minimum payment amount is higher for a multiple loan, but the minimum payment amount goes down as your loans are paid off. (The separate loan payments will be combined into a single payroll deduction.) The refinanced loan balance is spread over an additional five-year period. This reduces the minimum payment, but the taxable amount of a refinanced loan will always be greater than the taxable amount of a multiple loan.

Taxes and Your NYSLRS Loan

Retirement Online

Retirement Online, our self-service tool that gives you secure access to your account information, is the most convenient way to apply for a loan. Retirement Online will also let you know how much you can borrow, your repayment options and whether your loan is taxable. If you don’t already have an account, visit our website to learn more.

We recommend that you speak to a tax advisor or a NYSLRS customer service representative before taking a taxable loan. For more information about taking a loan from NYSLRS, visit our Loans page.

Just Started A New Public Sector Job? Remember This Step…

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Are you a current New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) member working at a new job in the public sector? Even though you’re already a member, make sure your new employer sends us a membership application for you.

The Importance of Filing a New Membership Application

woman on job interview

By sending a new membership application, your employer provides us with updated information about your membership, like the start date of your new position and your job title. But, it’s important for other reasons as well. Up-to-date member information:

Ensures that your employment history and benefit projection are accurately reported in your Member Annual Statement;
Helps guarantee that benefit determinations are based on the most current information;
Highlights any delays between when you began working and when your employer started reporting you;
Ensures that we will receive the correct contribution amount for your membership; and
Allows us to update your retirement plan in our records, should you change plans as a result of your new employment.

Starting a new public sector job is also a good opportunity to update your beneficiary information . You should check your beneficiaries regularly to make sure any benefits will be paid according to your wishes. Payments are made to the last named beneficiary.

Retirement Online is the convenient and secure way to review and update your beneficiary information. Register or Sign In , and then click “Update My Beneficiaries.”

Being a Friend

While you have applications on your mind, think about any friends or coworkers you may have. Perhaps, like you, they have recently changed jobs. Remind them to make sure their employers submit new applications.

Or, maybe you know a coworker who isn’t a mandatory member of NYSLRS, but who has that option. Suggest they consider joining NYSLRS.

It’s a good idea to join even if you aren’t sure you’ll ever apply for a benefit. By becoming a NYSLRS member, you lock in your tier and protect your benefits. And, if you do decide to leave public employment and withdraw your membership, you’ll receive 5 percent on your contributions, which can be a competitive return.

For more information about the benefits of NYSLRS membership, check out our Membership in a Nutshell publication.

Know Your Benefits: Your NYSLRS Pension

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Generally, three main components determine your NYSLRS pension: your retirement plan, your final average salary (FAS) and your total service credit.

Your Retirement Plan

NYSLRS retirement plans are established by law. Your plan lays out the formula we’ll use to calculate your pension as well as eligibility requirements. It’s important to read your plan booklet, which you can find on our Publications page. If you aren’t certain what retirement plan you’re in, check your Member Annual Statement or ask your employer.

NYSLRS Pension Chart

Final Average Salary

Your FAS is the average of your earnings during the set period of time when they were the highest. For ERS and PFRS members in Tiers 1 through 5, that period is three consecutive years; for Tier 6 members, it’s five consecutive years. Some PFRS members may be eligible for a one-year period, if their employer offers it. We will use your FAS, age at retirement, total service credit and the formula from your retirement plan to calculate your NYSLRS pension.

Generally, the earnings we can use for your FAS include regular salary, overtime and recurring longevity payments earned within the period. Some payments you receive won’t count toward your FAS, even when you receive them in the FAS period. The specifics vary by tier, and are listed in your retirement plan booklet.

In most cases, the law also limits how much your pensionable earnings can increase from year to year in the FAS period. Earnings above this cap will not count toward your pension.

Our Your Retirement Benefits publications, (ERS and PFRS), provide the limits for each tier and examples of how we’ll determine your FAS.

Service Credit

Service credit is credit for time spent working for a participating public employer. For most members who work full-time, 260 workdays equals one year of service credit. Members who work part-time or in educational settings can refer to their retirement plan publication for their service credit calculation.

Service credit is a factor in the calculation of your NYSLRS pension. Generally, the more credit you have, the higher your pension will be. Some special plans (usually for police officers, firefighters or correction officers) let you retire at any age once you’ve earned 20 or 25 years of service credit. In other plans, if you retire without enough service credit and don’t meet the age requirements of your retirement plan, your pension will be reduced.

Planning Ahead for Your NYSLRS Pension

As you get closer to retirement age, keep an eye on your service credit and FAS. Make sure we have an accurate record of your public employment history. You can sign in to Retirement Online or check your latest Member Annual Statement to see the total amount of service credit you’ve earned. You may also want to take a look at our budgeting worksheet or try our Benefit Projector Calculator as you plan for your retirement.

If you have questions, or want to find out more information about what makes up your NYSLRS pension, please contact us.

Protecting the Pension System

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Protecting the Pension System Since taking office, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has fought against the abuse of public funds. One of his top priorities is to protect the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) from pension scammers.

To date, DiNapoli’s investigations of retirement fraud have led to 24 arrests and the recovery of nearly $3 million in retirement funds. Here are some cases from earlier this year:

Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Dead Mother’s Benefits

A Madison County woman pleaded guilty to a felony grand larceny charge for collecting $67,000 of her dead mother’s NYSLRS pension checks. When her mother died in 2009, Tammy Banack did not inform NYSLRS or her bank, and her mother’s pension checks continued to be deposited in a joint checking account. Banack agreed to repay the stolen pension benefits and received five years’ probation.

Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Pension Checks

A Brooklyn man was arrested for cashing over $22,000 of his mother’s NYSLRS pension checks after she died. Jimmie Buie pleaded guilty and was sentenced to up to three years in prison. He was also ordered to repay the money. The office of New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman assisted in this case and the Banack case.

Town Clerk Admits Faking Retirement Benefits

Following a review of monthly retirement reports, the Office of the State Comptroller discovered that a town clerk had been unlawfully using a town computer to inflate her retirement service credit. Springport Town Clerk Deborah Waldron pleaded guilty, resigned and paid fines and surcharges. Her actual hours and benefits were recalculated to ensure she does not receive extra money she did not earn.

Brother Guilty of Bank Larceny in Pension Scheme

Joseph F. Grossmann, a former Albany resident, pled guilty to Bank Larceny after he used fake documents and other schemes to collect $130,624 in his deceased sister’s name. He was sentenced to three years of probation (including one year of home confinement) and ordered to pay back the money.

To learn more about how Comptroller DiNapoli safeguards public funds, and how you can help, visit the Comptroller’s Fighting Public Corruption page. You can also read about past pension fraud investigations.

Know Your Benefits: Disability Retirements

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Many of us dream about retirement, but not one of us pictures leaving the workplace because we can’t perform our duties anymore. Yet the truth is debilitating medical conditions do happen. Though we hope you never have to use them, NYSLRS members have certain benefits available should you become permanently disabled from performing the duties of your job.

This post is an overview of common disability benefits and how to file for them. It is important to review your retirement plan booklet for specific benefit and eligibility information, and contact us with any questions you have, before you file an application.

Disability Retirements

Benefits

Most members are eligible for what’s called an ordinary disability retirement benefit. Usually, it provides whichever is greater:

1.66 percent of your final average salary (FAS) for each year of credited service; or
1.66 percent of your FAS for each year of credited service, plus 1.66 percent of your FAS for each year of service you might have earned before age 60, up to one-third of your FAS.

To qualify for an Article 15 disability retirement benefit, you must have at least ten years of credited service, unless your disability results from an accident you sustain on the job. If your disability results from an on-the-job accident, not due to your own willful negligence, there is no minimum service requirement.

Some members have plans that may provide an accidental disability retirement benefit. The benefit amount varies depending on your system (Employees Retirement System or Police and Fire Retirement System), tier and plan. It’s a lifetime benefit, but may be reduced by amounts received from workers’ compensation or Social Security. There is no minimum service requirement for an accidental disability retirement.

“Accident” has a special meaning when used in connection with Retirement System disability benefits. Whether an incident is an “accident” is determined on a case by case basis, using court decisions for guidance.

Members of the Police and Fire Retirement System as well as some members of the Employees Retirement System, such as sheriffs and correctional officers, may be entitled to a performance-of-duty disability benefit. The benefit amount and eligibility requirements vary depending on your system, tier and plan.

Filing

You, your employer, or someone you authorize may file a disability application on your behalf. If you think you might be eligible for a disability retirement, you may want to file your application sooner, rather than later, because there are strict filing deadlines that must be met. If you meet the requirements for a service retirement too, you can apply for both at the same time. If your disability application is approved, you will be able to choose which benefit you accept.

World Trade Center Presumption

If you participated in World Trade Center rescue, recovery or clean-up operations, you may be eligible to apply for a benefit under the World Trade Center Presumption Law. The deadline for members to file a notice with NYSLRS has been extended to September 11, 2018.

Resources/More Information

For specific benefit and eligibility information, be sure to read your retirement plan booklet on our Publications page. Also, check out our Disability Retirements page and our VO1802 Life Changes: Applying for Disability Retirement booklet. You can reach our Call Center by email using our secure contact form or toll-free at 1-866-805-0990 (518-474-7736 in the Albany, New York area).

NYSLRS’ Partial Lump Sum Payments

Who is Eligible for the Partial Lump Sum Payment?

If you’re a Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) member covered by a special 20- or 25-year plan, you may be eligible to choose this payment. Certain Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) members (sheriffs, undersheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and county correction officers) are eligible if their employer offers this benefit. (Read the other eligibility requirements for PFRS members and ERS members.)

How the Partial Lump Sum Payment Works

The percentage amounts you can choose from depend on how long you’ve been eligible to retire. You can choose a lump sum payment that equals 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 percent of the value of your retirement benefit.

The payment can be made directly to you, or you can also have it paid in a direct rollover to an Individual Retirement Annuity or other plan that accepts rollovers. Before you decide, you may want to speak with a tax advisor to see if the partial lump sum payment is right for you. Certain partial lump sum distributions could be subject to federal income tax.

How Do I Choose the Partial Lump Sum?

If you’re eligible for the partial lump sum, we’ll send you a special option election form when you file for retirement. You can use this form to choose both the partial lump sum and the payment option you want for your continuing lifetime monthly benefit.

Please read Partial Lump Sum (PLS) Payment at Retirement – For Eligible Retirement System Members for more information.

New York Retirement News